


Chase the Day

by pilindiel



Category: Here U Are (Webcomic)
Genre: (sort of), Angst, Canon Compliant, Drama, Drunkenness, Getting What You Want But Not What You Need, M/M, Making Out, Mutual Pining, One-sided pining, Sexual Tension, This fic is gonna hurt, falling in love with the wrong person
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-12
Updated: 2018-06-12
Packaged: 2019-05-21 06:24:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,588
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14910048
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pilindiel/pseuds/pilindiel
Summary: Nestled in the corner of a vacant archway is a young man, silver wisps of hair taped to his forehead and bright, expressively blue eyes puffy with tears. He's beyond handsome, like a model, and Yu Yang still think he looks as stunning as the day they met. His phone is clutched in his trembling hands, spattered in text lines Yu Yang is too far away to read.A vice grips Yu Yang’s heart, squeezing the air from his lungs.“Lin Xiang,” he breathes.





	Chase the Day

**Author's Note:**

> I blame [Lindsey](https://archiveofourown.org/users/commodorecliche/pseuds/commodorecliche)100% for the angst you are about to consume.

It's nice to wander through the university campus in the summertime. There's a thickness to the afternoon air that makes Yu Yang's skin tingle, and even though the sun is oppressively hot, it's a lazy heat – the kind of heat that's handled best with a Popsicle or a cold beer in your hand. Currently, Yu Yang has neither, but he enjoys the solitude. There's nothing but the trill of cicadas and the occasional singing of birds to break his easy silence as he strolls past empty classrooms and he takes a slow, deep inhale of stale summer air.

None of his roommates are around either and it makes it all so much nicer; he can have the air conditioning on in their room at full blast with no repercussions or bitching.

It is  **_bliss_ ** .

Yu Yang slips his hands into his jean pockets as he rounds the next corner, fully intent on shifting gears to head back to his room when he hears a telltale sniff.

It's followed almost immediately by a cracked sob. Yu Yang picks up his pace.

It doesn't take him long to find the source, but who it belongs to makes his heart stutter to a stop.

Nestled in the corner of a vacant archway is a young man, silver wisps of hair taped to his forehead and bright, expressively blue eyes puffy with tears. He's beyond handsome, like a model, and Yu Yang still think he looks as stunning as the day they met. His phone is clutched in his trembling hands, spattered in text lines Yu Yang is too far away to read.  

A vice grips Yu Yang’s heart, squeezing the air from his lungs.

**_Hah._ **

“Lin Xiang,” he breathes.

Lin Xiang looks up suddenly, surprised by the disturbance, and immediately makes a show of wiping his eyes.

“Y...Yu Yang!” He starts, “I...I thought no one was...” He trails off, looks off at the distant tree line and sighs, running a hand through his hair. He looks disheveled, like he had been here a while, and the worry settles deep in Yu Yang's stomach.

Yu Yang gives him a small smile and ignores the nervous thumping of his heart.

“I suppose asking if you're okay would be a dumb question?” Yu Yang asks, moving to stand next to Lin Xiang's crumpled form. Lin Xiang chuckles. It's bitter, but Yu Yang will take it. He leans against the heated brick of the archway, hands in his pockets, and looks down at Lin Xiang for a long moment. He's quite certain he can guess; the phone in Lin Xiang's hand goes dark even as he clutches it that much tighter, and Lin Xiang grits his teeth, ducking his head as he tries to steady himself.

Yu Yang asks anyway, more to sate his own suspicions than anything else. “What's wrong?”

He watches as air fills Lin Xiang's broad chest, traces the line of his collarbone he can see through the sweat tacking his shirt to his body, and forces himself to look away with a sour taste in his mouth.

“Guang uh...” The name sounds thick and heavy in Xiang's voice, like it hurts to say, “He's mad at me.” A cough. A sniff. “Again. Blocked my number.”

Yu Yang shifts, knowing full well how torrential  **_that_ ** relationship can be. It stings – less than it used to but still prominent – that this was what Lin Xiang turned him down for that night, the night they refuse to bring up.

But he's over it. He has been for a while and he's not going to bring up old wounds when Lin Xiang is just dealing with a new one.

Instead, he knows exactly what to do.

“Hey,” Yu Yang murmurs, holding out his hand. Lin Xiang looks up at him dumbly, face puffy and flushed from the tears that have only just stopped flowing, and he looks lost. Exhausted.

Yu Yang offers him a smile – small but understanding – and says: “Let's get out of here, yeah?”

Lin Xiang's eyes widen – those stunning, incredible eyes – and he takes Yu Yang's hand with only a moment's hesitation.

* * *

They get drinks. The bar is warm but not loud in the slightest; the music is muted and calming and as they slide into a booth in the corner by the window, and the low light makes Lin Xiang look dazzling. Even when his face is taut from whatever conversation he was having with Xiao Guang, he still looks like a model. Tall, broad, with shaggy, silvery hair that falls perfectly no matter the circumstance. He has a softness to his looks too, a boyishness that makes him approachable.  Gentle.

Anyone would fall for him. It only makes sense Yu Yang would, too.

His baby-blue eyes catch Yu Yang's attention most – they're strikingly beautiful and endless like the sky - and Yu Yang always feels like they can look straight into his soul, an admiring sort of stare. He's just so  **_stunning_ ** .

A familiar ache pulls at Yu Yang's heart but he smiles easily and orders their drinks: a fruity cocktail for himself and a stout for Lin Xiang.

“You remembered,” Lin Xiang muses fondly, eyes sparkling in the low light. The comment goes straight to Yu Yang's heart and he laughs, rubbing the back of his neck.

“You're kind of hard to forget,” he replies.

Lin Xiang hums, that adorable, knowing smile gracing his handsome face, and Yu Yang swears his heart beats out of time.

Thankfully, Xiang leaves it at that as their drinks arrive.

Lin Xiang leans back in his chair when he's comfortable, letting out a deep sigh once the first gulp of his stout slides down his throat. He's always been an easy person to talk to, and they’re barely a half a glass in when he's gesturing wildly.  He speaks of his travels during his time off from school – most of his days spent creating his comics – and the more he gets into his story the more animated he becomes. It's adorable, really. Yu Yang listens intently, smiling with his chin resting in the warm palm of his hand, letting the chatter wash over him. The alcohol settles more into Lin Xiang's system with every swig from his beer, and the atmosphere quickly turns lazy and relaxed. 

**_Good_ ** . Something tells Yu Yang this is what they both needed.

It's fun. It's easy.

Lin Xiang's eyes are shining, his smile wide but gentle, and he's expressive in a way Yu Yang didn't know he missed. His chest aches and he chases it with a long sip from his cocktail, using it as an excuse to avert his gaze.

Their knees bump under the table, but neither of them comment.

“How are classes going?” Lin Xiang asks brightly, “Any interesting new students this semester?”

The answer is almost immediate.

“There is one student,” Yu Yang says as he pretends to idly stir his drink with its straw. He keeps his voice light. Unassuming. Innocuous.

“Oh?” Lin Xiang presses.

“In all honesty, I didn't like him when we first met,” Yu Yang admits with a laugh, “I thought he was a brute, you know? A huge jerk!” That draws a chuckle out of Lin Xiang and Yu Yang feels his face warm. “But the more I got to know him, the more I realized he was actually just shy.”

He remembers that fateful night after the bar fight, where Li Huan's eyes never strayed from his, his expression a placid mystery. Yu Yang remembers the warmth of Li Huan's thumb on his cheek, the tender rumble of his voice, and Yu Yang wonders – not for the first time – if Li Huan was like this with all of his friends.

He has a sneaking suspicion he already knows the answer.

Yu Yang smiles despite himself, staring down into the remaining slush and ice in his glass. “He's incredibly kind.”

Lin Xiang lets out a low whistle. “Sounds like quite the guy,” he says, though Yu Yang definitely catches the teasing lilt in his voice as he leans forward, “Don't tell me you've fallen for him?”

Heat rushes to Yu Yang's cheeks, embarrassed laughter bubbling up his throat. “No no!” he counters, even as his heart staccatos in his chest and he struggles to keep his voice from hitching an octave higher, “He's just a friend!”

Lin Xiang hums but thankfully drops the subject, bumping Yu Yang's knee under the table again. It stays there.

They're three drinks in each when Yu Yang finally yawns, feeling the lethargy set in. Lin Xiang smirks at him from across the booth – a lazy, relaxed smile – and Yu Yang doesn't miss the way Lin Xiang's eyes become just the slightest bit more hooded.

They both stand and Lin Xiang hands Yu Yang his coat.

“Let me walk you back to your place?” Lin Xiang offers. There's an eagerness to his expression, a bounce to his heel, and Yu Yang feels his chest swell with excitement. He can feel the ' **_yes, please'_ ** bubble up his throat, but his tongue feels thick in his mouth, and the word gets stuck in the back of his pallet.

**_Hah._ **

Something churns his stomach – a hesitation he's not used to having – and he stares up at Lin Xiang through his lenses. His hands are clammy and he forces them into his pockets to keep from fidgeting.

Lin Xiang's face falls. Yu Yang's heart goes with it, and it's enough to force the bile back down.

“Of course!” Yu Yang remedies quickly, “I want to hear more about your comic.” Lin Xiang beams and Yu Yang hastily looks away as he stumbles into step beside him.

Their hands brush as they walk and Yu Yang feels the heat from those fingers spread from the contact across his torso, wrapping around his heart and sticking to his lungs.

He clears his throat. “So, uh...What was the villain's name again?”

* * *

 

The walk back to Yu Yang's dorm is much shorter than he remembers. He's buzzing with nervous energy and though the churning of his stomach has barely subsided, the alcohol and Lin Xiang's relaxed attitude has kept it at bay.

They linger at Yu Yang's door, conversation lulled into an uneasy silence, and Yu Yang picks at the skin around his nails.

“Thank you,” Lin Xiang starts, breaking the quiet. Yu Yang blinks, bewildered, then Lin Xiang continues.

“Thanks for tonight. I uh...Didn't really want to be with anyone today, but...” He chews his bottom lip, considering his wording, then takes a deep breath. “I really appreciate it.”

The sincerity makes Yu Yang smile and he rubs the back of his neck sheepishly. “Well,” he muses, “You looked like you needed it.”

“Really,” Lin Xiang insists, moving a step closer, “Thank you.” They're close, close enough that Yu Yang has to look up to meet the torrent of emotions behind Lin Xiang's eyes, and the intensity, the  **_hunger_ ** , makes Yu Yang tremble.

“A...Ah...” Yu Yang breathes. He flicks his gaze down, tries to quell the crescendo rising in his head, but Lin Xiang moves ever closer, and his voice drops to barely a whisper.

“You have such a... **_knack_ ** ,” Lin Xiang says, and as he leans in Yu Yang mirrors the movement, feeling his back connect with brick, “For always being there when people need you.”

“Ah...” Yu Yang flicks his gaze nervously between Lin Xiang's smoldering stare and the ground, “Really?”

“Yes,” Lin Xiang's breath is hot against his face and Yu Yang shivers. “It's one of the things I always admired about you.”

Yu Yang's breathing is staggered, his heart racing, and all he can muster before Lin Xiang steps into his space is a pathetic, desperate murmur of his name.

Lin Xiang doesn't hesitate to close the gap between them.

Yu Yang can't count the number of times he's dreamt of this very moment, of feeling the press of Lin Xiang's body against his, of the softness of his lips and the urgency of his hands as they grip desperately at Yu Yang's thighs. Lin Xiang leads, and when he opens his mouth Yu Yang readily accepts the probe of his tongue, exhaling hard through his nose. A moan winds its way up Yu Yang's throat and Lin Xiang grips him a little tighter, deepening the kiss. It's everything Yu Yang has ever wanted.

It  **_should_ ** be perfect.

_ The angle should be sharper, _ Yu Yang thinks, wrapping his arms around Lin Xiang's neck to pull him in.

Lin Xiang opens the top of Yu Yang's shirt, aggressive and a little desperate, and Yu Yang tilts his hips into Lin Xiang, gasping at the friction that builds between them. His mind is reeling, trying to focus on the heat and the mounting pleasure, but the vision behind his eyelids are of a different person, a different time.

Lin Xiang kisses at Yu Yang's exposed shoulder, sucking into the soft skin of Yu Yang's collarbone, and Yu Yang gasps. But the feeling coiling in his stomach isn't excitement. Isn't pleasure.

Yu Yang wishes his lips were rougher. Wishes his hands were s _ tronger _ .

**_Hah._ **

With a grunt, Yu Yang shoves Lin Xiang off him, breath heaving out of his chest. Lin Xiang blinks at him, confused and flushed and  **_stunning_ ** , and it takes all of Yu Yang's strength to look away. He already knows the expression Lin Xiang is wearing; it's the same feeling his heart is screaming, the same one vibrating through his skin.

**_Isn't this what you wanted?_ **

“I...I'm sorry, I just - ” Yu Yang swallows, tries to catch his breath. His hands are shaking as he pulls out his keys and the sharp jingling is worse than anything either of them could have said.

“Yu Yang – ” Lin Xiang starts, but Yu Yang shakes his head. He can't hear this. His heart is pounding, his whole body feels like it's coiling in knots, and he holds out a hand, stopping Lin Xiang in his tracks.

“I'm sorry. I shouldn't....I shouldn't have...” Yu Yang shakes his head again, trying to form words that won't come. Every word he forces from his throat pokes holes in his lungs, air fizzling out of him.

“You...” A swallow. A breath. “You should talk to Xiao Guang,” he murmurs, chest so tight he feels like he's suffocating. He doesn't even turn to bid Lin Xiang goodnight before he fumbles with his keys, staggering into his room.

The door closes behind him with a snap and Yu Yang is bathed in darkness.

It's empty and quiet, and all it does is echo the pounding ache of his heart.

Yu Yang feels a million things, thinks a million more. He can't put his finger on any of them. He lets them slip away the same way he slips off his shoes as he stumbles further inside.  The only thing that sticks, that sinks deep in his stomach and spreads down his legs and up his throat, is a feeling of  **_wrong_ ** .

His shirt feels like it’s choking him even with the top unbuttoned and he wrenches it off, throwing it haphazardly into the laundry basket.

It’s barely a reprieve.

He blames the cold air and the alcohol for the stinging in his eyes and the manic beating in his chest and climbs up into his bed, curling up under the blankets.

Tears fall onto his pillow, leaving burning tracks down his cheeks, and he only has himself to blame.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! I've been hooked on this comic for almost a week now and I've already read it twice lol
> 
> I'm very excited to help spread the word of this amazing story and these incredible characters and I hope I didn't make Lin Xiang too ooc....It's kinda hard when he hasn't been very prominent yet, but I have a sneaking suspicion he will be.
> 
> Also I cannot WAIT for djun to go into the angst of what will happen when Lin Xiang starts going to class again...How will that interfere with Yu Yang's budding feelings for Li Huan? How will Li Huan react to Lin Xiang when he finally meets him??
> 
> Who knows. All I know is that Yu Yang will be conflicted as hell.
> 
> Hit me up on my [tumblr](http://pilindiel.tumblr.com/) if you'd like!


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